The Spark (WWI)
100: Who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
Answer: The Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist group.
100: What was Germany’s battle plan to avoid a two-front war?
Answer: The Schlieffen Plan.
100: What was “No Man’s Land”?
Answer: The deadly area between opposing trenches.
100: Why did Russia struggle in WWI?
Answer: Lack of industry, poor transportation, and weak supplies.
100: What event officially started World War II in 1939?
Answer: Germany’s invasion of Poland.
200: Why did Austria-Hungary issue demands to Serbia after the assassination?
Answer: They blamed Serbia’s government for supporting the Black Hand.
200: Which neutral country did Germany invade, prompting Britain to declare war?
Answer: Belgium.
200: Name two common struggles soldiers faced in the trenches.
Answer: Trench foot, rats, lice, cold, disease, or shell shock.
200: What happened at the Battle of Tannenberg (1914)?
Answer: Germany surrounded Russia using railroads, causing over 200,000 Russian casualties.
200: Which countries made up the Axis Powers?
Answer: Germany, Italy, and Japan.
300: What was Germany’s “blank check”?
Answer: A promise to support Austria-Hungary no matter what.
300: What was the nickname of the Battle of the Marne?
Answer: The “Taxi Cab War.”
300: What new weapon was the #1 killer in WWI?
Answer: The machine gun.
300: What was Czar Nicholas II’s mistake in 1915?
Answer: Taking personal command of the army, leading to failure and revolts.
300: What battle was the turning point in the Pacific Theater?
Answer: The Battle of Midway.
400: What was Russia’s response to Austria declaring war on Serbia?
Answer: Russia mobilized its army against Austria-Hungary and Germany.
400: What was the goal of Germany’s “War of Attrition” or “Bleed White” strategy?
Answer: To exhaust the enemy’s manpower and resources.
400: Why did old Napoleonic strategies fail in WWI?
Answer: They couldn’t overcome modern weapons and trench defenses.
400: What slogan did Lenin use to rally support in Russia?
Answer: “Peace, Land, Bread.”
400: What was the Allied invasion of Normandy, France in 1944 called?
Answer: D-Day (Operation Overlord).
500: Which country declared war on Russia after it refused to demobilize?
Answer: Germany.
500: Name one major battle of the Western Front with heavy casualties but little gain.
Answer: Verdun or the Somme.
500: Name two new weapons used in WWI.
Answer: Poison gas, tanks, airplanes, flamethrowers, mortars, U-boats, grenades.
500: What event forced Russia to leave WWI?
Answer: The Russian Revolution.
500: What project developed the first atomic bombs?
Answer: The Manhattan Project.